A Fresh Start in Kirkham: a nineteenth century western romance

by Susan Thomas

  "Cecelia, what's happened? Has our mayor spanked you again?"

  "No, it was Sam. I left here unescorted to go to the livery stables. I should have waited for him and didn't so he showed me the sort of husband he will be: strict but loving."

  "Oh, dear. I am sorry, Cecelia. I did forget to let Sam know, but I suppose you are safe enough here on your own in daytime, it was the walk to the stables wasn't it."

  "Yes, Sam says there were no indoor attacks until poor Mrs. Craddock got attacked... how is she by the way?"

  "Improving. I shall remove her stitches soon. No infection, thank the Good lord."

  "I must go and see her. Well Sam said that we simply don't know if an attack might come in the day and in the street. We don't know what this person will do and I have to be careful. So, he took a hairbrush to me."

  Dr. Davies smiled sympathetically. "I suppose I shall have to adjust to being a disciplinarian at times when I marry Marta. It isn't a role that comes naturally to me."

  "She will expect it. That seems to be the general practice here in Kirkham and, from my conversations with Beth and Mary, the wives seem to see it as part of the loving, protective nature of the town. If you don't discipline her she may worry you don't love her or lose respect for you."

  Dr. Davies laughed. "Iestyn the strict! Now my father, he'd lay on with his belt without much trouble as my rear end could testify. A good man, but life was tough and he had to be."

  Cecelia had hoped to get Dr. Davies talking about his early life but at that point she spotted Marta arriving for her first morning. It was obvious that the girl was determined to be the best doctor's wife she could possibly be.

  "Here comes Marta. We must ask her about this odd customer of hers."

  She made herself scarce for a while so that Dr. Davies and Marta could have a little time to greet one another properly. After a while she went back in only to have them hurriedly disengage from a long embrace and kissing. She smiled to herself. Clearly this was going to be a passionate marriage and the courtship had better be short!

  "Marta, yesterday you told me about a customer who wanted me to marry Iestyn and not you. Who was it?"

  To her surprise, Marta got cross. "I didn't tell you that so you could spread it around. I don't gossip, and the only other person I've mentioned it to was my sister Matilde. I thought I could trust you. I won't tell you!"

  Dr. Davies took hold of Marta gently by the shoulders and turned her to face him. "Marta, my love, I do not want to see flashes of temper at a simple question. You could have made your point without bad temper. If we were already married I would have to consider disciplining you for a display of temper like that."

  Marta calmed down in an instant and whispered to him that she was sorry. He took her in his arms and embraced her. Cecelia thought that Dr. Davies would have no trouble with discipline when he was married. It would be gentle and calm but strong for all that. Marta apologized to Cecelia but still didn't give the name of her customer.

  "Marta, this could be important which is why Cee asked the question. Now tell us exactly what happened and who it was."

  Marta explained how it went and Dr. Davies' face became more concerned with every word.

  "Who is this woman?"

  "She's the new housekeeper to Miss Tannock. You know that rather sharp, very clever lady, that lives in the green painted house not far from our farm."

  "What's her name?"

  "Oh, bother... um, I do know, or at least she did say the first time we met but... she's just the housekeeper to me. The account is in Miss Tannock's name and she has had quite a few women housekeepers working for her. They never last long. She's a bit sharp. I tell you who might know, Joe Barnes at the general stores. She goes in there occasionally to get supplies."

  Dr. Davies thought for a moment. "I don't think we should pursue this further on our own. It's an odd encounter, and very disturbing, but proves nothing by itself. I think we must take this to Henry to investigate. If we go and see Joe Barnes it could start unfounded rumors. We'll go, all three of us, to the sheriff's office and leave it with him."

  Marta took Dr. Davies' arm as naturally as if they had already been married for some years and Cecelia smiled as she walked along with them. She had never met a couple more suited to each other and clearly very much in love.

  When they arrived at the sheriff's office they found the Rev. James Daffern with him. Henry and James worked together often enough, for sometimes law requires compassion to make it work, and James' pastoral care often solved problems that simple law could not. The two men stood when the ladies came in and found seats for them. Dr. Davies made to start explaining when Sam came in. Henry looked at him quizzically.

  "It's getting crowded in here and I still don't know why."

  Sam nodded. "I saw these three walking to your office and sensed trouble. I thought I'd come and support Cee."

  Dr. Davies spoke. "It may be nothing at all, but Marta had a very odd, and to me rather disturbing encounter with Miss Tannock's housekeeper. Marta, just tell everyone exactly what happened."

  Marta told her story once again and Henry, who found it disturbing himself, noticed that Samuel Hoctor had gone pale. When Marta finished, Sam asked tensely, "What does this woman look like?"

  "Oh, she is perhaps a bit older than Cecelia. She seemed lovely the first time I met her. Very pleasant and kindly. She has auburn hair and very piercing blue eyes. Slim build although quite strong; it hurt when she gripped my forearm."

  "Oh, My God!"

  James Daffern looked very disapprovingly at Sam but then saw that every drop of color had drained from the man's face. "What is it Sam? You look like you've seen a ghost."

  "That sounds like my wife, but it can't be."

  Henry was calm. "Sam, your wife is dead. Let's not get all supernatural."

  "No. No, God help me. That's just it, she isn't dead."

  Cecelia cried out, "Not dead! You mean you're married?"

  "I can explain Cee... just..."

  "No! No! No, you can't explain. You offered marriage to me and you are already married." She burst into tears and ran out of the office leaving the door wide open.

  Marta turned on Sam. "You cruel, wicked, evil man. How could you do that to her? She is so lovely. I'm going to her."

  Marta flew out of the door, chasing after Cecelia, who was running for her rooms over the dressmaker's shop. People stopped and stared at the two women running down the road their skirts held up in order to do so.

  Sam went to chase after her but James stopped him, holding him strongly and thrusting him down into one of the now empty seats. "No, you don't. You're staying right there and explaining yourself. Marta can look after her and then I will go and make a pastoral visit. You'll not go near her. You'd better have a good explanation Mr. Hoctor."

  Sam looked up and saw the three other men staring at him with very cold and stern faces. "You don't understand. I can explain. My wife is a lunatic. I don't mean just in my opinion, I mean she really is, and a court sentenced her to be confined for life. I didn't much care for the state asylum; it was nice enough in its way but had so many inmates so I pay for her to be in a private asylum with fewer inmates. It's beautiful, with huge grounds, and some of the inmates farm and grow vegetables. She's been confined in a more secure part because she is so dangerous.

  "You see, right from when we first married I knew something was amiss She was possessive to a silly degree. She didn't like even my friends coming around and if another woman spoke to me she got tense and irritable. One day I remonstrated with her about it and we had a huge row. When it was over I went out on business. I inherited several family businesses and was always busy. Anyway, two spinster sisters stopped me to speak to me about some work. They were in their sixties, the both of them, and not in the least interested in men. Lovely ladies, but no rival for any woman. I had no idea my wife had followed me and, after I parted with the two sisters, my wife followed them and butchered them both in thei
r own home with one of their own kitchen knives.

  "I knew nothing of this, but she was seen and recognized. Two police officers went to find and arrest her and she attacked them both. They were seriously wounded. In the end, it took six strong men to get her in a cell."

  Henry sounded angry. "Why the devil didn't you tell us this before? Didn't it occur to you that this mysterious attacker might be your wife?"

  Sam got angry. "Why the hell should it? She is supposed to be safely locked up hundreds of miles away. Until now we've never had a description and no one has let me know she's escaped. Anyway, perhaps it's not her. It may just be someone that looks like her. I can't believe the asylum wouldn't tell me she is out."

  Dr. Davies stood up abruptly. "I'm going to ask her name at the general stores. I'll be back in a moment."

  When he left, James turned on Sam. "How could you offer marriage to poor Cecelia when you are already married? That is bigamy, and a sin under God's law."

  "Sin! What kind of loving God gives a man a dangerous lunatic for a wife? Am I supposed to be without the comfort and support of a good woman forever? My lovely Julia... is she, poor child, to always be without a mother? My wife was jealous even of her. She would barely go near her and didn't like to see me hold her. I had to employ a nurse to care for her. Fortunately, it all happened two years ago when Julia was only three. She now has no memory of her mother. I had no reason to think she would ever leave the asylum. To me she was dead."

  Dr. Davies returned looking grim. "The housekeeper's name is Mrs. Hoctor. She is apparently a wonderfully polite and mild woman, unlike her employer."

  Sam groaned and put his head in his hands. Henry stood up and announced his intention of sending telegrams to establish whether Mrs. Hoctor had escaped, but it seemed unlikely it was anyone else. He got from Sam the name of the asylum and the local police department and strode away. The doctor and the preacher looked at each other. This was a horribly heart rending situation. They could sympathize with Sam, but proposing marriage to a woman when one is already married was illegal and would not be lightly regarded by anyone. They weren't sure how to deal with it.

  Henry came back with Liam Ahern. He explained the situation to Liam who looked quite shocked. "Now listen Liam, I've a job for you and I want you to take great care. This Hoctor woman has a very violent history and is stronger than she looks. I am concerned about Miss Tannock and her sister. I don't want us storming in and putting them at risk. Equally no one has seen them in a while. That's not unusual, but I want to find out if they are still alive.

  "We don't know for sure where this Hoctor woman is. If she is keeping a watch on Cecelia she may not be back at the Tannock house. If she is planning another attack she maybe here this evening and we may be able to lay a trap for her. I want you to go and spy out the situation but whatever you do don't confront her. I'll not have Miss Tannock or servants put at risk of harm."

  Liam left and as far as Henry was concerned the situation continued to spiral out of control. Marta came back glaring daggers at Sam.

  "I didn't think Cee should be left alone in her rooms so I took her to Mary Spencer. The girls are playing out back and don't know about any of this. Cecelia is sobbing in the parlor."

  James Daffern jumped up. "This is a job for me. It will not be easy bringing comfort to her. Samuel Hoctor you have done untold damage with your dishonesty. I understand your heart rending predicament but..." James left and Sam, unable to face the others any longer, went back to his livery stable business.

  While he waited for replies to his telegrams, Henry wanted to discuss the situation further with Dr. Davies who felt it best he be in his surgery. Luckily patients were few that day and Marta found herself sitting holding Iestyn's hands while the three of them discussed what on earth to do about all of it. If it hadn't have been so tragic, Marta would have been thrilled at being treated as an adult. Now she saw clearly the yawning gap between being a girl and being a woman. There were drinking coffee and going over everything for the third time when a boy came across with two telegrams.

  The first was from the local police department where the asylum was located. It confirmed they had been hunting one Abigail Hoctor an escaped lunatic. It warned that she was 'V. DANGEROUS' and asked if she was in custody. The second was from the asylum and confirmed Abigail Hoctor had escaped. It had no apology for not alerting her husband.

  Henry walked across to the livery stables and gave the news to Sam who was simply sitting with his head in his hands. He groaned as he read the telegram.

  "Why in heaven's name didn't they inform me? I would have told you Henry. I would have known the attacker in black was her."

  "My guess is money. If they admitted she'd escaped, you'd stop paying the fees. As it was it probably didn't occur to them she'd get all the way out here without money. That wife of yours is resourceful I'll give her that."

  "Wife! Huh! A wife only in the eyes of the law. Did they not think I wouldn't find out?"

  "Probably hoped they'd get her back before you did. How much longer they would have kept it quiet I can't imagine. Anyway, I now have to find and capture her. Let's just hope the Tannock household is alright. We're lucky that so far no one has been killed. Let's keep it like that."

  Henry went back to Dr. Davies, unsure what to do. It was a waiting game now. He must wait for Liam's report and wait to see whether this evening Abigail Hoctor would appear in her guise of attacker. He decided he would have sentries posted everywhere. This woman must be recaptured before she killed someone. Neither Iestyn nor Marta could suggest any other course of action and he had just begun to plan where he would post his sentries when a boy came from the general stores.

  "Excuse me Dr. Davies. Mr. Barnes sent me over to tell you that Mrs. Hoctor you were asking about is in the store. If you want a word with her you best come now."

  Chapter Eleven

  Liam approached the green painted Tannock house with great caution. He had taken to heart Henry's concerns about Miss Tannock, her sister and their servants. He would do nothing reckless to put them in danger but as for Mrs. Hoctor, he lacked Henry's scruples. If he got the opportunity he would shoot her. She might be a lunatic but she had killed in her home town and injured two police colleagues. Here in Kirkham she had injured and terrorized the women. Sam's life had been ruined and potentially Cecelia's as well. However, if she were dead, Cecelia and Sam could perhaps get back together. Recapturing her still left Sam and Cecelia in a horrible position and there was always the frightening possibility of a second escape. No, sad that it might be, everyone would be safer and happier with the woman dead. It would not trouble him greatly to be the instrument which achieved that.

  In a spot where the trees thinned out he dismounted and tied his horse to a branch. He crept nearer until he could see without being seen in return. There was no movement whatsoever at the Tannock house. It was a warm day and yet every window and door was shut. Even the stable door was closed. Liam wondered if he would see movement from a different position so he began to patrol in a wide circumference around the house. Not from any position could he detect movement or any sign of life such as smoke from a kitchen chimney. That was all very odd. He made his way back to his horse.

  He could hardly go back with the useless report of, "I saw nothing." An idea came to him and he grinned, remounted and rode openly towards the house. He would knock on the door, tell Mrs. Hoctor he was searching for a runaway boy, and ask if she had seen him. He fixed a name and a description in his head and arrived at the front of the house. He knocked on the door in manner consistent with a polite visitor. He waited but heard no sound from within. He tried the door and found it unlocked.

  His orders were not to confront her, but calling with an enquiry about a missing boy was not confrontation. He opened the door and went in calling as he did so. "Miss Tannock, Mrs. Hoctor. Is anyone in? Hello."

  He could hear nothing. The house was silent. Perhaps she had killed them all. He drew his gun and,
locking the front door behind him, began to walk with his back to walls calling out in a casual voice, "Miss Tannock, Mrs. Hoctor. Where are you?" He was sweating by the time he had been through the whole house. He half expected the woman to jump out at him screaming like a banshee and waving a massive knife. Then he heard banging and muffled calls. He tracked them down to what was clearly a cellar door. A key hung on a hook by it and he opened it before stepping back quickly his gun at the ready.

  A small elderly woman with an intelligent but angry face stepped out. It had to be Miss Tannock and with her was a timid, quiet woman who must be her sister.

  "Who the blue blazes are you?" she snapped.

  "Deputy Liam Ahearn, Ma'am. Sheriff Flight sent me to find out if you were alright."

  "My sister and I have been locked for several weeks in the cellar by that housekeeper of mine. She's fed us sometimes, but that is all. Now where are the others? I have two rather elderly men that manage the stables, grounds and do odd jobs. I also have a cook and a maid. Where are they?"

  "I don't know ma'am. That housekeeper is believed to be a dangerous escaped lunatic. She has killed before and attacked many women here in Kirkham. I want you to lock yourself in while I go and look for your people. If you have a gun get it out and don't hesitate to shoot if she comes."

  Miss Tannock asked no further questions. She simply nodded, found a shotgun, loaded it and, after Liam went outside, locked and bolted the door.

  Liam moved cautiously. He had seen for himself how fast and agile the woman was, so if she was hiding somewhere she could attack very quickly. There were several small outbuildings and substantial stables with space for gig and carriage. With gun drawn, Liam checked each of the small outbuildings carefully, at the same time watching all around in case Mrs. Hoctor should appear. Finally, he made his way over to the stables and opened one of the doors extremely quietly and cautiously. This was the last place she could be but all was quiet in the stables except for the sounds Miss Tannock's two horses made. He eased himself around, wherever possible with his back to a wall, but found no sign of anyone.